Open AccessThe measurement of flame temperatures
Author(s) -
Ezer Griffiths,
J H Awbery
Publication year - 1929
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series a, containing papers of a mathematical and physical character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9150
pISSN - 0950-1207
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.1929.0076
Subject(s) - thermal , thermal equilibrium , task (project management) , meaning (existential) , solid state , thermodynamics , materials science , mechanics , mathematics , computer science , chemistry , physics , engineering , epistemology , philosophy , systems engineering
To define the “temperature” of a flame, and to be sure that the concept has a unique meaning, is no easy task. Without entering into philosophic abstractions, it would seem that a working definition, which corresponds to the general idea of what is meant by “the temperature of a flame,” would be “the temperature of a solid body which is in thermal equilibrium with the flame.” Strictly, this is to argue in a circle, for "thermal equilibrium” means primarily “equality of temperature”; experimentally, it is satisfactory in that we may assume that thermal equilibrium corresponds to that thermal state which is eventually reached when the solid is left in contact with the flame for a sufficient time, provided the introduction of the solid does not alter the conditions.